Language and Power: A Resource Book for Students (Routledge English Language Introductions)

Routledge English Language Introductions cover core areas of language study and are one-stop resources for students.

Assuming no prior knowledge, books in the series offer an accessible overview of the subject, with activities, study questions, sample analyses, commentaries and key readings – all in the same volume. The innovative and flexible ‘two-dimensional’ structure is built around four sections – introduction, development, exploration and extension – which offer self-contained stages for study. Each topic can also be read across these sections, enabling the reader to build gradually on the knowledge gained.

Language and Power:

• offers a comprehensive survey of the ways in which language intersects and connects with the social, cultural and political aspects of power,
• provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of the field, and covers all the major approaches, theoretical concepts and methods of analysis in this important and developing area of academic study;
• covers all the ‘traditional’ topics, such as race, gender and institutional power, but also incorporates newer material from forensic discourse analysis, the discourse of new capitalism and the study of humour as power;
• includes readings from works by seminal figures in the field, such as Roger Fowler, Deborah Cameron and Teun van Dijk;
• uses real texts and examples throughout, including advertisements from cosmetics companies; newspaper articles and headlines; websites and internet media; and spoken dialogues such as a transcription from the Obama and McCain presidential debate;
• is accompanied by a supporting website that aims to challenge students at a more advanced level and features a complete four-unit chapter which includes activities, a reading and suggestions for further work.

Language and Power will be essential reading for students studying English language and linguistics.

Paul Simpson is Professor of English Language in the School of English at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, where he teaches and researches in stylistics, critical linguistics and related fields of study.

Andrea Mayr is Lecturer in Modern English Language and Linguistics at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, where she teaches and researches in media discourse and in multimodal critical discourse analysis.

‘Superb contribution to the field of applied linguistics. A clear and comprehensive treatment of the role of symbolic power in all uses of language in the 'real world', it engages the reader in both detailed analyses of discourse data and an understanding of their theoretical importance. For undergraduate students, it fosters a language awareness indispensable for a critical general education.’ Claire Kramsch, University of California, Berkeley, USA

‘This excellent textbook provides authentic examples with thought-provoking discussions about the way language works in cultural contexts to shape ideologies and create unequal balances of social power.’ Suzanne Quay, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan

‘As well as lucidly introducing a comprehensive range of approaches to the study of language and power, this rich and diverse volume provides numerous fascinating demonstrations of how close linguistic analysis can reveal the complex relationships between language, power, coercion and resistance. This, together with its clear and accessible style, makes it an invaluable classroom text.’ Michael Pearce, University of Sunderland, UK